Keen was the butler of the Zoldyck family.
Ron was a member of the Zoldyck family.
There was no way he would save this person.
Crunch!
A crisp, chilling sound echoed as Mike, expressionless, began to chew.
Splurt!
Blood splattered everywhere.
The man's face contorted in utter pain, his screams echoing pitifully.
Ron looked away.
Having been in the Zoldyck family for many years and knowing the original storyline, Ron did not shy away from killing.
In a chaotic world like this, if you don't kill others, they'll kill you.
Yet, witnessing someone being chewed alive left Ron feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Zebro, give me a rundown."
"Yes, Master Ron."
Zebro explained, "The main gate of the estate is here. Beyond it lies the forested area where no one resides—only us cleaners work here."
"Mike oversees this region, and there are other beasts patrolling the other areas."
"The forest is filled with dangerous creatures."
"We cleaners don't wander too far for safety."
Hearing this, Ron glanced over at Keen.
"Keen, how powerful are those creatures?"
"They're not bad," Keen replied. "When I was undergoing butler training, I came here to fight some of these creatures. Some of them are even stronger than Sangis."
Sangis was already quite formidable among ordinary people. But in the face of magical beasts and Nen users, Sangis couldn't measure up.
This piqued Ron's interest.
After completing his energy-gathering mission in the Zoldyck estate and creating his first Nen Beast, he planned to head to Heaven's Arena.
However, there was a long journey from Kukuroo Mountain to Heaven's Arena.
The sparring with Sangis felt more like a practice match.
Ron craved a real fight—a genuine clash.
It was inevitable that he would encounter this in the future.
At Heaven's Arena, and even in the Hunter Exam, death was common.
Many contestants went all out, showing no mercy.
"I want to give it a try," Ron said, looking at Zebron.
"Lead the way, Zebron. Don't worry about safety—Keen will protect you."
Keen nodded.
Back when he first came to the Zoldyck estate for butler training, Keen had fought there himself.
Now, Keen's strength had long surpassed the threats posed by these forest creatures.
"Yes, Master Ron."
Zebron took the lead.
As they entered the forest, the surroundings suddenly grew quieter.
But in reality, the sounds didn't lessen; rather, they grew more numerous.
It was an eerie atmosphere.
Whoosh!
A shadow darted out from the brush.
Ron's eyes lit up with excitement rather than fear.
"Ten!"
Ron activated Ten, enveloping his entire body with Nen.
With the protection of aura, even Ten in its basic state provided significant defense, greatly enhancing Ron's resilience.
It was a snake.
Its mouth opened wide, fangs sharp as it lunged toward Ron's arm.
"Serpent's Bite!"
Ron's arms moved swiftly.
Slash!
A sound of flesh being sliced could be heard.
In the next instant, the entire snake had been cut into seven or eight pieces by Ron's attack.
The metallic scent of blood filled Ron's nostrils.
This sensation made Ron's blood begin to boil with excitement.
This type of fight felt entirely different from a simple sparring match.
Ron sensed that this experience might accelerate his growth significantly.
Zebron stood beside Keen, not daring to stray too far away.
A figure approached Silva.
"Lord Silva."
"Hmm?"
"Master Ron has entered the outer forest of the estate and is fighting the creatures there."
"Who is with him?"
"Keen and Zebron."
"I see. You may leave now."
Meanwhile, a figure lay in front of Ron.
It was a dangerous, cat-like beast—not merely a wild animal, but a magical creature.
Compared to Mike, it was considerably weaker.
But for Ron, who was currently avoiding the use of his Nen, defeating it was a real challenge.
This was evident from Zebron's expression alone.
Even with the strength required to open the Trial Gate, Zebro was extremely wary of this creature.
No, not simply wary—he had no chance of winning against it.
Ron looked down at the corpse on the ground, then paused.
"That's enough for today. Zebro, lead the way."
"Yes, Master Ron."
Zebro took the lead, with Ron in the middle and Keen bringing up the rear.
The three of them exited the forest and arrived in front of a large wooden building.
This was the servants' quarters.
It housed not only Zebro but also many other servants.
Among them, Zebro was responsible for guarding the main gate and cleaning up after Mike's meals.
Zigzagen was responsible for patrolling the forest area.
In terms of strength, Zigzagen was slightly stronger.
Interestingly, Zigzagen hadn't originally been part of the Zoldyck estate, nor had he been recruited by the Zoldyck family. But rather, like the others who had died earlier, he had once been a challenger.
But unlike those individuals, Zigzagen had made the right choice in the end.
He settled at the Zoldyck estate and became one of the estate's servants.
Ron sat down.
Zebron began preparing food.
The ingredients came from the dangerous creature Ron had killed earlier.
Flames crackled in the fireplace, sending waves of heat outward.
Ron looked at the crystal orb in front of him.
The orb had already absorbed about half of the area's unique energy.
This progress was in line with Ron's expectations.
He had estimated that within a month, the crystal orb would finish absorbing the Zoldyck estate's distinct qualities.
Now, about half a month had passed.
"However, the orb's absorption speed has started to slow down again."
"This suggests I need to change locations."
"I can't stay in the outer areas of the estate."
Ron glanced at Keen.
"Keen, starting tomorrow, let's explore the inner parts of the estate. The dangerous creatures in the forest no longer hold much value for me, so I'd like to see what's in the other areas."
"Yes, Master Ron."
The next day.
Watching Ron and Keen leave, Zebron and Zigzagen waited until their figures completely disappeared before retracting their gaze, and started gossiping a little.
"Master Ron probably isn't Lord Silva's child."
"But Lord Silva's orders were for us to treat him just like we would Master Illumi or Master Killua."
"Who knew the Zoldyck family had additional branches?"
Zigzagen shrugged, lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and then exhaled a large smoke ring.
"That's not something we need to worry about."
"We're just servants; as long as we do our jobs, that's all that matters."
Zebron nodded in agreement.
"True enough."
"But whether it's Master Illumi, Master Killua, or this Master Ron, their talent and strength are terrifying. Then there's Master Milluki..."
Zigzagen quickly warned him, "Shh! Keep it down—that's not for us to discuss."